Pediatrician combines stethoscopes with sneakers

Patients might notice her Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers before they notice her stethoscope, but that’s perfectly fine with Anne Lombardi, M.D., a pediatrician at Sentara Halifax Pediatrics. Dr. Lombardi is at ease marching to the beat of her own drum, and she believes it allows her to connect with her young patients.

"I don’t know that I ever completely grew up," says Dr. Lombardi, "but I’m okay with being a little unconventional and I believe being your unique self is important."

Dr. Lombardi may be young at heart, but she has brought with her excellent experience as a physician in some of the nation’s largest children’s healthcare facilities. Dr. Lombardi completed her pediatric residency at Baylor College of Medicine and trained at Texas Children’s Hospital before moving on to work at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. She earned her medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

Dr. Lombardi is very close with her mother, brothers and their families who live in Richmond. She chose to come to South Boston to be closer to her family and focus on how she was practicing medicine.

"I wanted to work with people whose goal was taking the best possible care of children and their families because doing that is the right thing to do," she says. "I visited Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital before Sentara Halifax Pediatrics existed. Everyone I met was enthusiastic about building an accessible practice that provides high-quality pediatric medicine. I knew I wanted to be part of that effort."

One area of pediatrics and children’s health which Dr. Lombardi finds particularly engaging is vaccination. She believes vaccinating children and promoting vaccination is very important.

"A lot of people don’t realize that vaccine-preventable diseases still occur in the United States and that these illnesses can be severe," she says. "In my previous jobs, I cared for several previously healthy children that died or were permanently disabled as a result of vaccine-preventable diseases. I have full faith in the efficacy and safety of the vaccination schedule set by the Centers for Disease Control."

When she’s not caring for young residents of our community, Dr. Lombardi enjoys running, biking and most things that take her outdoors. She enjoys crafts, even dabbling in woodworking, and she recently began taking piano lessons.

"I’m very happy I joined Sentara Halifax Pediatrics," Dr. Lombardi says. "I work with a great group of people, and everyone – providers, nurses and staff – are excited about building the practice and bringing the highest quality care to the children of our community."